


The Gift of Vulnerability

by Akinasky



Series: Ship and Gen AO3 Facebook Group Challenge [8]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: AO3 Writers Facebook Group Monthly Challenge, Comforting Victor Nikiforov, Crying Katsuki Yuuri, M/M, Prompt "Tears"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 16:10:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16936434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akinasky/pseuds/Akinasky
Summary: After the Cup of China, Yuri and Victor are in their hotel room and Victor is trying to take care of Yuri afterwards.





	The Gift of Vulnerability

**Author's Note:**

> Late but this is Day Five for Ship / Gen Challenge   
> Prompt "Tears"

Yuuri grabbed a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants from his suitcase but the work it would take to stand back up again seemed impossibly too much no matter what he’d done that day. He slumped down and plopped on the carpet in front of his clothes, hand still gripping the clothes but he couldn’t even bring them into his lap. Yuuri reached down and rubbed his fingertips into the fabric of his long program outfit that he was still wearing, the outfit he and Victor picked together, understated elegance. His hair was still gelled from the performance and the light stage make up that he used in performances smeared on his face from sweat and tears after the performance. He made it through and he was heading to his next event but for now, right now he couldn’t seem to get up. Yuuri had a silver medal and a strangely changing relationship to contend with. What was he going to do about Victor? Yuuri had done everything he could to put a little distance between them in the beginning but now there was no possibility of that. What if they were together for a moment and Yuuri screwed it up? What if Victor really was just being his usual handsy self who didn’t know what it would mean to kiss him? And to do it in front of everyone, Victor and Yuuri were going to be questioned about their relationship rather than the skating and Yuuri didn’t know if he wanted that.

The feeling of Victor’s lips on his had been one of the most surprising experiences of Yuuri’s life and due to where they were at the time, plus the tv spots being recorded afterwards, Yuuri hadn’t even talked to Victor about it yet.

He didn’t know if he could. Or should. What did he want it to mean? He adored Victor, the man was a god to him but Yuuri also knew more about his now than he ever did before Victor became his coach. He knew what kind of man Victor was because of how he was with his dog. Yuuri knew about him because of how he treated Yurio, during training and after, like a beloved snot nosed little brother. Yuuri knew Victor was generous in spirit despite the ego that came with being one of the best figure skaters in the world. Yuuri dropped his clothes and rubbed his hands over his face, knocking his glasses askew, sniffing because his thoughts were just confusing him more.

“Yuuri?” Victor asked from the door as he came through and closed it behind him.

Yuuri jumped in surprise, his heart beat hammering against his chest and turned, “Victor, I thought you were going out with Christophe! I was just about to shower and go to bed, I’m fine!”

Victor sent him a shrewd look as he took off his jacket and hung it in the small closet next to the door before, he walked over and sat down on the bed next to where Yuuri was sitting, “Why are you sitting on the floor?”

Yuuri chuckled anxiously, “I can’t seem to get back up.”

Victor shook his head and before Yuuri could even imagine what his coach was planning, Victor lifted Yuuri up from his elbows and got him wobbling but on his feet. “You need a bath, I shall draw you one,” he said and gently deposited Yuuri on the side of the bed and picked up his clothes and headed to the bathroom. Yuuri listened as the water started and there was some splashing, hand slipping under and out of the water, checking the temperature. Working in the Hot Springs meant that he normally could determine what someone was doing if water was involved. It was a pretty silly skill that didn’t matter outside of his home. Victor came out of the bathroom after a couple of minutes and held his hand out. Yuuri took a deep breath and took the proffered hand and let his coach help him back to his feet. He stumbled with Victor and let the other man pull his jacket off, followed by his outfit and down to nothing.

Yuuri didn’t have the energy to feel embarrassed for once and stepped into the tub, faltering a little until Victor steadied him with a hand on his bare back. Yuuri got his other foot in the tub and settled down, leaning his head back on the edge of the tub and let the hot water soak into him, the water soothing his soul more than anything else ever could.

He’d been skating for long enough that the act of skating didn’t really cause pain or discomfort, not when he usually spends hours on the ice in a day but the exhaustion of not sleeping and still performing was a new kind of sore that he’d never experienced.

Yuuri closed his eyes and listened as Victor fussed with the faucet and left the bathroom only to return a couple minutes later and poured something into the water, “This is some of my best salts, it will help to soothe you. Would you like me to wash your hair?”

Yuuri nodded, mostly because Victor doing something that was specifically for the sake of his recovery was to enticing to turn down. He let Victor dunk his head into the water then used a little bit of the hotel shampoo to lather his scalp, getting rid of all the gel and he could hear the suds popping and working into the strands and skin. He took a deep breath and something snapped, the kindness making the control of his emotions slip just enough.

Victor hummed, “You were amazing today, Yuuri.”

His lip trembled and a tear escaped the edge of his tightly clamped eyelids and Yuuri reached up to wipe it away but Victor stopped him.

“I will rinse now, be careful, we do not want to get soap in your eyes.” Victor detached the shower head and brought it down and started to rinse Yuuri’s hair until it was squeaky clean, then Victor stood Yuuri up and helped him rinse the rest of his body off and Yuuri looked at him as he attempted to keep from crying again.

“I don’t want to cry anymore but I can’t seem to stop.”

“Yuuri,” Victor whispered gently as he turned off the water and started to drain the tub, “You do not have to hide your feelings. You have done an amazing thing today, winning silver despite not sleeping and my lack of experience in being a coach. Your performance today was wonderful and I am very proud to say I am your coach.”

Yuuri frowned, he’d never ever heard Victor say that he was wrong or stupid even when he was. The man didn’t seem to know how to but here he was now, letting Yuuri continue to blubber like an idiot and not see him for the loser Yurio once called him in the bathroom and every time they’d been in the same room since.

“Come, sit on the bed,” Victor invited and when he was settled on the side of the bed Yuuri let Victor help him into his bed clothes before he ruffed Yuuri’s hair with the towel. Victor moved to stand behind him and gripped the comb from his bag. Yuuri leaned back and Victor smoothed the comb through his hair a little at a time. Victor was so gentle, he didn’t pull or yank at all. He was so much gentler than Yuuri ever imagined possible. Yuuri kept his eyes closed, afraid that this intimacy would end if he looked at it too closely.

Victor took a long time to finish combing Yuuri’s hair and when he was done, Victor pressed his hand on Yuuri’s shoulder, “Do you want to talk about anything before you sleep? The sleep that you greatly need.”

Yuuri nodded and turned around, pulling his legs up on the bed, tucking one close so he could put his cheek on his knee, “The kiss?”

“Yes?” Victor asked.

“What did it mean?”

“It means what it has always meant,” Victor said and sat down on the bed across from Yuuri, “I would be glad to be everything for you. Can I please be everything for you, not just coach and friend but more?”

Yuuri smiled tremulously and settled down, pulling the covers down so he could lay down and he motioned to Victor, “Will you stay with me for a little while? Just until I sleep?”

Victor nodded, stripping off his dress slacks and settled down next to Yuuri and pressed close to his back. Yuuri fell asleep far to quickly to enjoy the closeness, hoping it wouldn’t be the last time they slept in the same bed together.

Victor stayed next to Yuuri long past the moment when he fell asleep, holding the younger man as long as he was allowed because no matter what they wanted, Yuuri still had a lot of work to get to the Finals no matter how much Victor wanted to whisk him away and show him all the romantic secrets Victor would teach him. That would have to wait, for both their sakes.


End file.
